Many Americans who take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs seem to believe they can eat plenty of unhealthy foods without suffering any consequences, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that people who took statins in 2009-2010 consumed more fat and calories than those who took the drugs 10 years earlier. There was no similar increase in fat and calorie intake among people who didn't take statins, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers said.

Their analysis of U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data showed that statin users in 2009-2010 consumed 9.6 percent more calories and 14.4 percent more fat than statin users in 1999-2000.

No one should really be surprised. Whenever risk to harm from an activity is reduced, people will increase the activity to offset all or some of the risk reduction. For example, anti-lock braking will prevent skidding on wet roads during rain. With the introduction of cars with anti-lock braking, drivers drive faster than before during rain and offset the risk reduction from the anti-lock feature. There is no reason to expect the response from cholesterol reducing drugs, which reduce the risk of heart disease, will be any different.